$0 Budget Marketing

I’m a mom. But, more to-the-point, I’m the primary caregiver to a 3-year-old and a (nearly) 5-year-old. I juggle my days. My weeks are unpredictable. And then summer comes…

Along with the summer lag.

At first, it’s awesome. Then I realize I only have so many weeks of camp, the kids want to go to the pool every day, and oops, I booked way too many long weekends. So, yes, this is all insanely awesome. And I am truly fortunate to have a flexible career to make this all possible. But, the other reality is that the work still comes in, and I find myself stealing moments of “mom time” to work, or letting my evenings become my second shift. It’s complicated.

But, we’re halfway through. And, in 6 short weeks, we’ll be back to our routines. So, to those of you who share this challenge, what can we all be doing now to position our businesses for the fall?

Embrace the chaos – Do what you need to do, and give yourself a break. As, I just said, the fall will be here (in just!) 6 weeks.

Socialize – Whether you end up “talking shop” or just hanging poolside, it’s networking, and especially valuable for local, referral-based businesses.

Planning – If you find yourself stuck in the car, or on a plane, give yourself a break from the day-to-day obligations, and think about some long-term objectives and challenges. Where do you want your business to be in a year? In 5 years?

Fall Planning - We often wait for the mental shift around Labor Day, but for most businesses, late August planning leads to October activity. If you hope to ramp up in September, now’s the time to start planning and scheduling your marketing efforts.